Car-coupling



A.L.ERL ER.

GAR GOUPLING. V No. 322,814.l Patented July 21,1885.

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A. L. ERLBR. GAR GOUPLING.

No. 322,814. Patented July 2l, 1885..

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ALBERT L. ERLER, or LAWLER, IOWA.

CARS-COU'PLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,814, dated July 21,1885.

Application filed May 1G, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. ERLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lawler, in the county of Chickasaw and State of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplings, andparticularly to that cla-ss in which a hinged bail and hooked draw-barare employed to couple the cars. The bail is hinged to rods having ayielding or spring connection with the bed-frame of the car independentof the draw-bar,which latter is pivoted to the bed-frame and is heldparallel to its draft by a connection pivotally attached to the rear endbars to abut and readily pass one another when the cars come together,and to reduce the abrasion caused by the one sliding against the otherwhen'coupled.

The invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts, as more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a verticallongitudinal section of a portion of two cars with my improvementsattached; Fig. 2, a sectional plan view of the same on line x .tof Fig.l. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a part of a car-body to more clearlyshow the coupling-connections; Fig. 4, a front view of a car-body withmy improved coupling; and Fig. 5 shows the draw-bar.

The coupling bail or link A is hinged to rods B, which pass throughopenings in a sill-bar, C, and are connected at their rear ends tospringpulls d, seated within the bolster M of the carframe. Thepull-rods pass through a metallic bushing iitted within the bolster, andhave coiled springs d thereon with their points of resistance betweenwashers on the rods, and sockets (Z2, formed within the bolster. Pins dipass through the forward ends of thepull-rods (No model.)

d, to limit their inward mov-ement and hold the bail-connections intheir normal positions. The draw-bar E has a top hook formation, a,forward of which a long narrow roller, e, is journaled in platese,secured to the upper and lower sides of the draw-bar, the sides ofsaid draw-bar tapering or converging to the side of the roller. mortiseor recess in the sill-bar C, and is pivoted therein by a bolt or pin, F.A loop-rod, G, is pivotally connected with the rear end of the draw-barby a screw or pin, f, passing through an eye, g, formed by doubling therod on itself. The ends of the rod G pass through openings in thebolster and extend a The draw-bar passes through a slight distancebeyond the same, and are connected by a cross-head, g. Coil-springs g2,on the ends of said rods between the cross-head and bolster, normallyserve to keep the drawbar parallel with the draft of the car, and permita slight forward yielding of the draw-bar in case of any abnormal straincoming thereon. To allow for such forward movement of the -draw-bar, theopening therein, through Which the pin F passes, is slightly elongated,asl clearly shown in Fig. 2, while the pivot-connections F g allow thecoupling ends of the draw-bars to have a limited lateral movement, sothat they may pass each other on either side in coupling.

To operate the bail, chains I are attached to a shaft, J ,verticallyjournaled in suitable bearings to the front of the car-body, and areconnected to the arms of the bail, the one passing direct, the otherpassing over a pulley, K,

mounted in a bearing attached to the car nearly over the side of thatside of the bail farthest from the operating-shaft. A

When it is desired to couple the cars, the brakeman rotates the shaft Jfrom the top of the car by means of the hand-wheel j, thereby raisingthe hinged bail,which is limited in its upward movement by contactingwith the bottom of the car-body, so that it stands at a forwardinclination from the car, and when the shaft is released the bail willfall and en gage the draw-bar hook of the carto be coupled.

To assist the gravitating movement of the bail, its forward end-isweighted.

To uncouple the cars, it is only necessary to rotate the shaft J, whenthe chains will be IOO Wound thereon and cause the disengagement of thebail from the draw-bar of the coupled ear.

It will be seen that when the cars come together the draw-bars of eachwill guide past and overlap one another, and allow the momentum of themoving car to spend itself on the bumpers N on either side ofthedraw-bars.

I claiml. In combination with a draw-bar having a-top hook, a, andpivotally connected with shaft vertically journaled to the front of thecar at one side of itsfc'entifchains attached to said shaft, the onepassing direct to the nearer side of the bail and the other passing overa pulley attached to the car nearly over the other side of the bail towhich the chain is attached,substantially as shown and described.

4. 'Ihe herein-described earcoupler, con` sisting of a draw-bar, E,having a top hook and aslot, and pivotally connected to the carframe bya pin, F, passing through said slot, a loop-rod, G, pivoted to the rearend of said draw-bar and held under tension by springs in line with thedraw-bar and the car, in combination with a bail, A, hinged to rods B,connected to the bolsters of the car by springs,

substantially as described. l

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

' ALBERT L. ERLER.

W'itnesses:

O. A. TAYLOR, J. E. LANDON.

